Cook County Forest Preserve holding photo contest

The Forest Preserves of Cook County is hosting its second annual photo contest.

More than 350 photos were submitted in last year's inaugural contest, with more than 1,500 votes cast to determine the winners.

The winning photographs will be featured in the preserves' 2014 wall calendar, and in an exhibition in the Cook County building in downtown Chicago and in Cook County's suburban courthouses.

Photos must be taken in a Cook County Forest Preserve and should feature nature scenery and landscapes, close-ups of plants, insects, birds and other wildlife, or people enjoying the outdoors or participating in our recreational offerings.

Photos should be in digital format such as JPEG of TIF and must be a minimum of 3600 x 2700 pixels at 300 dpi. Photos included in the calendar will be horizontal -- vertical images will be cropped to fit the page layout.